EXCLUSIVE: Adelanto is one of the nation’s largest illegal immigrant detention facilities. It’s located about 90 minutes north of Los Angeles, in the high desert. Since 2011, the year it opened, 71,000 immigrant detainees have passed through its gates, gates which detain 2,000 illegals at any one time.

Despite its size and activity level, Its been nearly 6 months since members of the media have been allowed inside. I know this because for the last 6 months I have been trying to arrange a visit.

SCOOP: On four separate occasions, my tour request has been denied by acting Western Region spokeswoman Lori K. Haley, of the Department of Homeland Security:

“Due to significant demand and agency resource constraints…I don’t anticipate we’ll be able to facilitate a tour for you of the Adelanto ICE Processing Center at least for the next several weeks.” September 13, 2017

Several weeks later, as per Ms. Haley’s response, I asked again for a tour.

“We are still unable to accommodate at this time – please check back with me at the beginning of the new year.” November 29th, 2017

At the beginning of 2018, as per Ms. Haley’s instructions, I checked back with her again.

“We are not conducting media tours at this time, but I will let you know if that changes.” January 16, 2018

Wondering if things might have changed, I emailed again, three weeks later.

“The policy has not changed, but neither have agency resource constraints.” February 3, 2018

I thought this was strange, because the Department of Homeland Security had just recently arranged for me to visit President Trump’s prototype border walls being constructed along the US border with Mexico in an area south of San Diego known as called Otay Mesa. I was so well behaved, I was also taken on a ½ day ride-along with a member of the US Border Patrol, who showed me various points along the San Diego sector’s 61 miles of border with Mexico.

Point is, I knew it wasn’t anything I did that was keeping me from visiting the Adelanto Illegal Immigration Facility. That’s why I decided to do a little digging. And, well, it turns out there’s a very good (shitty/horrible) reason why the media is being kept out of Adelanto.

You see, in 2017, there were 5 suicide attempts by illegal immigrant detainees, several detainees went on hunger strikes to protest poor treatment and rights violations, there was a huge riot (August 2017), and, the private prison company that runs Adelanto is mired in controversy, having donated nearly 1 million dollars to President Trump’s inauguration.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DEATHS: Oh, and one more thing: in the last three (3) years, there have been five (5) suspicious and unsolved deaths of immigrant detainees at Adelanto.

I’m not giving up. I want to know what’s going on inside Adelanto and I plan to find out. And you can find out, too by liking our facebook page, that’s where you can follow my crusade to get inside Adelanto and report on what the Department of Homeland Security and The Trump Administration are hiding.

Up first, this week (February 5th-9th), I’m going to drive up to Adelanto, located about 90 miles from my house in Los Angeles, and find out what can be seen from outside. Plus, I’ll talk to employees on their way inside for work and I’ll talk to people leaving who have just visited family members currently being detained.